Socialist Lenin Mo-reno was set to extend a decade of leftist rule in Ecuador on Monday after official results showed him winning the presidential election, as his conservative rival cried foul*.

Both candidates claimed victory on the basis of conflicting exit polls from Sunday’s runoff*, but with 96.94 percent of districts reporting the National Electoral Council said that Moreno — the designated heir to President Rafael Correa’s “21st-century socialism” — won 51.12 percent of the vote against 48.88 percent for ex-banker Guillermo Lasso.

The election was closely watched as a barometer of the political climate in Latin America, where more than a decade of leftist dominance has been waning.

2. Thousands gather over killing of man

Thousands of pro-testers have gathered in Paris to demand answers and justice one week after a Chinese man was killed at his home by the police, a case that has provoked anger in the French capital’s Asian community.

Crying relatives holding portraits of 56-year-old Liu Shaoyao led the downtown rally at the Place de la Republique on Sunday. Other participants held white flowers.

A group of a few hundred Chinese youth and police officers clashed as the rally ended.

3. US-led strikes ‘likely’ killed 229 civilians

Airstrikes* by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group have likely “unintentionally” killed 229 civilians since the offensive* began in 2014, according to U.S. Central Command.

The tally does not include civilian casualties from March — which could include potentially large numbers of civilians killed in strikes over several days in Mosul’s al-Jadida area. Attention has focused on one allegedly particularly deadly strike on March 17.

4. Santos blames climate change

Climate change caused the deaths of over 250 people in Colombia’s Mocoa town, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Sunday after paying a second visit to the area that was struck by a landslide a day before.

Most of the victims of the deadly mudslide have been identified and many of them are children, the president said, vowing to continue relief and rescue efforts until the last person affected by the calamity was identified.

Providing details of the death toll as of Sunday, the government first said 207 people were dead, but later matched it with the 254 deaths reported by the army.

5. Liberal front-runner wins nomination

A liberal South Korean opposition leader who advocates* improved ties with rival North Korea has become his party’s candidate in next month’s election of a successor to recently ousted President Park Geun-hye.

Moon Jae-win’s nomination on Monday as the Democratic Party’s candidate boosts his status as front-runner* in the May 9 election, which was triggered after Park was removed from office last month over corruption allegations.

The Democratic Party said Moon was selected as its nominee in party voting that ended on Monday.

6. Venezuela court reverses move

Venezuela’s president and Supreme Court backed down on Saturday from a surprise move to strip congress of its legislative powers that had sparked widespread charges that the South American country was no longer a democracy.

President Nicolas Maduro asked the Supreme Court in a late-night speech to review a ruling nullifying* the lawmaking body after that decision set off a storm of criticism from the opposition and foreign governments.

The court released new rulings that apparently reinstated congress’ authority. (SD-Agencies)